New Jazz Release: The Mack Avenue Superband | “Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival – 2012” (Coming Sept 3rd, 2013)

MACK AVENUE SUPERBAND DEBUTS WORLDWIDE WITH
LIVE FROM THE DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL – 2012 –
ALBUM SET FOR SEPTEMBER 3 RELEASE


 

Lineup
Selected Exclusively from the Label’s Burgeoning Roster of Jazz
Superstars, Including Carl Allen, Gary Burton, Aaron Diehl, Kevin Eubanks, Tia Fuller, Sean Jones, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Evan Perri, Alfredo Rodríguez, and Rodney Whitaker

 

Repertoire Comprised of Original Tunes by

SuperBand Members as well as Favorite Standards

 

SuperBand to Reassemble at Upcoming 34th Annual

Detroit Jazz Festival on Labor Day Weekend


 


Mack Avenue Records is proud to present the scintillating debut release by the
Mack Avenue SuperBand, an all-star ensemble comprising many of the label’s most acclaimed artists. Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival – 2012, set for September 3 release, documents the SuperBand‘s
unveiling at the 33rd annual edition of the Motor City label’s hometown
jazz festival last Labor Day weekend. The SuperBand will reassemble at
the upcoming 34th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend. 

 

The brainchild of Mack Avenue president Denny Stilwell, the SuperBand
is a fiery, celebratory conglomeration, the sort of chemistry
experiment whose success is predicated on its combustibility. The group
brings together legends and label mainstays including vibraphonist Gary Burton, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, alto saxophonist Tia Fuller, trumpeter Sean Jones, and guitarist Evan Perri, with rising stars like pianist Alfredo Rodríguez and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. The band is anchored by the house rhythm section of pianist Aaron Diehl, drummer Carl Allen, and bassist Rodney Whitaker (who also serves as musical director).

 

Al Pryor,
Mack Avenue EVP of A&R and the record’s producer, acknowledges the
challenge inherent in bringing such a loaded roster together on one
stage, calling the impressive result “a team effort.” Emphasizing the
tight-knit dynamic and Detroit pride of the Mack Avenue team and the
experience of the Detroit Jazz Festival‘s skilled crew,
Pryor says that the concert’s ultimate success was due to the
musicians’ passion. “The artists were all enthusiastic when we first
approached them,” he says, “and all brought something special to the
table.”

 

The
repertoire for the Saturday night performance at Detroit’s Hart Plaza
consisted of original tunes and favorite standards contributed by the SuperBand‘s members. The proceedings kick off with Sean Jones
“Liberty Avenue Stroll,” a tribute to another thoroughfare, this one in
the trumpeter’s native Pittsburgh. The new piece, commissioned by the
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, depicts a lively and colorful jaunt, fueling
robust solo turns by Fuller and the composer, as well as the members of
the house rhythm section. The same line-up tears through Tia Fuller‘s ferocious “Breakthrough,” which initially appeared on her second Mack Avenue release, Healing Space.

 

The Miles Davis classic “All Blues” offers a spotlight for Gary Burton, who premiered his New Quartet on Common Ground in 2011, and Kevin Eubanks, who made his Mack Avenue debut in 2010 with Zen Food, his first release following his departure from his longtime gig at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

 

Quincy Jones has called Alfredo Rodríguez, whose debut album, Sounds of Space,
was released last year, “one of the most prolific and gifted pianists
of the 21st century.” The inventive Cuban-born pianist’s radical solo
reworking of “Guantanamera,” a stunningly original transformation of the
familiar chestnut, is strong evidence of exactly what Jones was talking
about.

 

The band co-led by longtime musical partners Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker made their Mack Avenue debut with 2007’s Get Ready, while Aaron Diehl‘s first label release came just this year, with the critically acclaimed The Bespoke Man’s Narrative.
But the threesome work cohesively together throughout this record as if
they’d been gigging for years. They support Hot Club of Detroit
guitarist Evan Perri‘s expansive, soulful rendition of the Django Reinhardt masterpiece “Nuages” as skillfully as they do singer Cécile McLorin Salvant
on the woman-scorned belter “Oh Daddy Blues,” originally recorded by
Bessie Smith over a century ago. Salvant’s recently released Mack Avenue
debut, WomanChild, has revealed her as the heir apparent to
Smith and other legendary vocalists, a verdict amply seconded by her
performance here.

 

Most of the instrumentalists, along with tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera,
reconvene at show’s end for the Wild Bill Doggett rave-up “Honky Tonk,”
featuring blistering blues fretwork by Perri and gutbucket testifying
from the soloists. The tune is a tribute to the SuperBand‘s label mate, Detroit’s ‘Gentleman of the Blues’ Johnnie Bassett, who passed away while the group was in rehearsals. Far from mournful, Bassett’s boisterous spirit pervades the rousing homage.

 

The
diversity of the material reflects the equally wide-ranging Mack Avenue
roster, but this cohesive and captivating live recording is
representative of the label’s ambitions, the vitality of its artists,
and the electricity of one September evening in Detroit. 

 

 

Upcoming Mack Avenue SuperBand Performances:

September 1 / Detroit Jazz Festival / Detroit, MI

 

 

Mack Avenue SuperBand·  

Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival – 2012

Mack Avenue Records ·  Release Date: September 3, 2013 

 

 

please visit mackavenue.com

  

MACK AVENUE ·  the road to great music ·  mackavenue.com

 

MORE News on T.U.M.S.!

The City of Philadelphia Honoring Frankie Beverly With Street Renaming Ceremony In May
R&B Singer Tony Walk to Release New Single "Tell Me You Want It" on April 5th, 2024
Mariah Carey Receives SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award
Gospel Singer Hezekiah Walker Set to Break Ground on East Brooklyn Affordable Housing Development
Music Legend Maurice White’s Final Recordings "Manifestation" Coming May 3rd, 2024 | WATCH NEW TRAIL...
Kevin Flournoy and Amanda Cole to Release New Track “To The Water” on April 5th, 2024 | LISTEN! New ...
Jazz/Funk Bassist Christian de Mesones to Release New Album “You Only Live Twice” on April 12th, 202...
The Bobby Broom Organi-Sation to Release New Live Project "Jamalot" on May 24th, 2024 | WATCH NEW VI...
Percussionist Eric Frazier to Release New Project "That Place, Featuring Return of The Panther Woman...
Gospel Singer Keri Fraser to Release New Single "You Are Holy" on March 29th, 2024
Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison to Release Tribute Album "The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of ...
Sierra Green & The Giants Releases New Single "Break in the Road" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Jazz Guitarist Adam Hawley Releases New Album "Unstoppable" | LISTEN! Announces New Tour Dates for 2...
Davido and Lila Iké Release New Single “Flex My Soul” | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Blue Note Records Announces New Run of Titles for Classic Vinyl Reissue Series
GRAMMY-Winning Musician Don Was Announces New Group Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble | WATCH NEW...
R&B Singer Devon Howard Releases New Album "Morning Son" | LISTEN!
Director P. Frank Williams Launches Multimedia Venture "For The Culture, By The Culture"
Sheila E. Releases New Single "Bemba Colorá" feat Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Funk/Soul-Jazz Group The New Mastersounds to Release New Album "Old School" on March 29th, 2024 | LI...
Singer Lawrence Rosenborough Releases New EP "Human Relations" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Soul-Blues Singer Sugaray Rayford to Release New Album "Human Decency" on June 14th, 2024 | LISTEN!
Bay Area Saxophonist Raffi Garabedian Releases New Project "The Crazy Dog" | LISTEN!
Latin Jazz Ensemble Dave Schumacher & Cubeye to Release New Album "Smoke In The Sky" on April 12th, ...
Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith to Release New Book "Aretha Cool: The Intimate Portraits" on March...
Jazz Guitarist Ronny Smith to Release New Album "Struttin" on April 19th, 2024
Saxophonist Michael Cates Releases New Single "Get On It" | LISTEN!
Jazz Guitarist Norman Brown to Release New Album "It Hits Different" on March 29th, 2024 | LISTEN!
Singer/Songwriter Gene-o aka “Classic Twist” Releases New Single “Holding Back The Years” feat. Saxo...
Jazz Guitarist Chris Standring to Release New Project "As We Think" on April 5th, 2024
Violinist Alexa Torres & Her Quartet to Release New Album "In Situ" on June 14th, 2024
Vocalist Queen Esther to Release New Album "Things Are Looking Up" on April 9th, 2024 | LISTEN!
Saxophonist Mo Louis Releases New Track "To The Maxx" feat. Jeff Lorber | LISTEN!
Sevana Releases New Single "Keep Going (Chosen)" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Norah Jones Releases New Album "Visions" | WATCH NEW VIDEO! Announces New Tour for 2024
R&B Singer Ledisi Releases New Single “Perfect Stranger” feat. Kenny Lattimore | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana Releases New Track "A Story" | WATCH NEW VIDEO! New Album Drops April 5th...
The Stylistics To Re-Release Album "Love Is Back In Style" On March 8th, 2024 | WATCH & LISTEN!
Singer ROME Releases Cover of Lee Fields Soul Song "Forever" | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
R&B Singer Roderick Harper Releases New Track "Eternal Love" | LISTEN!